Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby
brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child
the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a
perfect husband... someday.

Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you
should...

Or not.

There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and
that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he's
arrogant, annoying, and she's absolutely certain he detests her. Which is
perfectly convenient, as she can't stand the sight of him, either.

But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor...

Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown
together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong
adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they
can't abide is the one person they can't live without...

Billie
finished the horrifying sentence. “You’d have to marry me.”

It
wasn’t that Billie Bridgerton was lacking in common sense. On the contrary, she
was quite sure that she was one of the most sensible people of her acquaintance.

But
she was a woman. She could never understand what it meant to fight for king and
country.

Oh
how I love the Bridgertons! And I am so glad that Julia Quinn has brought them
back in this brand new series. This is a prequel to the Bridgerton series that
is eight books long. I can easily say that this will be a highly enjoyable read
for any Bridgerton fan. Readers will love the story shared by George and
Billie, both characters that have been introduced before. Billie is not your
typical heroine, but isn’t that so typical of Julia Quinn’s writing? Billie is
a bit of a tomboy and not your average lady. Billie has taken over a lot
aspects of running her family’s estate. Billie was a loveable character, and
her sassy personality made me love her all the more!

Our
male protagonist is George Rokesby, the eldest of the Rokesby brothers. George
has a heart of gold and I loved him right from the start. Right from the
beginning I was rooting for him and Billie to end up together. The dialogue
shared between George and Billie was my favorite part of the book. It was so
easy to fall in love with these characters, as it is with any of Ms. Quinn’s
loveable creations. There is a mix of humor, romance, and passion that made
this book a quick, easy read.

***A
free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Avon books in exchange
for my honest review***

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Wedding planner
Kelsey McKenna is just a few hours away from wrapping up her latest job: a
destination wedding in the charming, colonial Mexican town of San Miguel de
Allende. The reception is all set up, the tequila donkey is waiting outside,
and the bride and groom are standing on the altar, pledging their eternal love.
But just as the priest is about to pronounce them husband and wife, one of the
bridesmaids upstages the couple by collapsing into a floral arrangement. Worst
of all, Kelsey discovers that she hasn't just fainted-she's dead. The demanding
mother of the bride, Mrs. Abernathy, insists Kelsey not tell the wedding party;
she paid for a wedding after all, not a funeral.

Losing a bridesmaid is bad enough, but when the
bride's sister is arrested for murder, Mrs. Abernathy demands that Kelsey fix
the matter at once. And although she's pretty sure investigating a murder isn't
in her contract, crossing the well-connected mother of the bride could be a
career-killer. Before she can leave Mexico and get back to planning weddings,
Kelsey must deal with stubborn detectives, another dead body, and a rekindled
romance in this smart, funny cozy debut perfect for fans of Carolyn Haines.

When it comes to weddings, there are
emergencies, and then there are emergencies. Having a trio show up when you
were expecting a quartet? Unfortunate, but salvageable. Finding out the bakery
accidentally sent a Styrofoam dummy cake to the reception? Pretty
disappointing, but still not an emergency. Wedding dress catching fire? Okay, I
suppose that would be an emergency – but still nothing compared to what I was
dealing with now.

As a wedding planner, you never know what you
might be called upon to do. My list of services was now growing to include “sneak
police officers past unsuspecting brunch guests.”

“So let’s recap,” said Brody. I had texted him
to meet me back in my room so I could update him on the situation. “You voluntarily
called the police about a robbery and now you’re a suspect in a murder? That doesn’t
make any sense!”

He ducked behind a chair just in time to deflect
the bottle of water I threw at him.

This debut novel was pitched for fans of Carolyn
Haines; I LOVE everything about Carolyn’s books, so I was sure to request a
copy of this book for review. This fast-paced, cozy mystery story was so easy
to read and took me no time at all to finish. It was the perfect escape for a
rainy afternoon. I was not disappointed with this new mystery series. Kelsey,
our leading detective, is a wedding planner, a job I always wanted as a child.
So while I was sure some chaos would ensue, I was not sure just how much. It
was hilarious and completely unexpected. When the bride’s sister was arrested
on a murder charge, I was hooked and from that point on I did not stop reading
until I hit the last page.

The cast of funny, quirky characters that filled
these pages was enough to make me fall in love with this book and this author.
The story takes place in Mexico because Kelsey is in the process of planning a
destination wedding. This was such an added plus to an already action-packed
story. As you read, you will hear about all kinds of yummy Mexican dishes, so
don’t read the book if you are too hungry. Kelsey is a wonderful lead to take
readers through a jam-packed mystery. There were several possible suspects,
which I love in a mystery story. I like have a lot of choices when it comes to
figuring out the killer. Overall, awesome new series that I will definitely
continue to follow!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me
by the publishers at Minotaur books in exchange for my honest review***

Saturday, March 12, 2016

In a compelling,
richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original
sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the
fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy”
Jefferson Randolph—a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding
father and shaped an American legacy.

From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that
though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs
deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate,
protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling
with him when he becomes American minister to France.

It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among
the first tumultuous days of revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns
about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own
age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé William
Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love,
principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a
life as William’s wife and still be a devoted daughter.

Her choice will follow her in the years to come,
to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal,
tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will
sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining not just
his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

“I’m not only my
father’s daughter, but also a daughter of the nation he founded. And protecting
both is what I’ve always done.”

“Sons of a
revolution fight for liberty. They give blood, flesh, limbs, their very lives.
But daughters . . . we sacrifice our eternal souls.”

“Your care is
ever a comfort. Just be sure to attend to your own happiness, too.”

Although I love history, Thomas Jefferson and his
legacy have never been topics that I have covered in my research, until I read
this book. Now I am spending time dedicated solely to researching this man and
his daughter, Patsy. And if you think politics are corrupt now, just wait until
you read this book; your mind will be blown. Betsy, whose real name is Martha,
is the heroine of this novel and readers will follow her journey after her
father passes away. Patsy spends most of her life by her father’s side and is
his most loyal and avid supporter. She will sacrifice everything to clear his
name. Readers get to enjoy Patsy’s younger life with her father as well because
of her frequent flashbacks.

This book was exceptionally well-written and is
one of my favorite books so far this year. The research that must have gone
into this book is astronomical. I have read that Jefferson took notes on every
single day of his life, and it is with journal and notes like this that authors
like Dray and Kamoie can put together amazing stories like this one. The author
did not leave out one single detail regarding the time period. Slavery was
depicted as harshly as it was all those years ago and other living conditions
were discussed as well. The smaller characters add a nice twist as well; the
book is over six hundred pages in length, and so many wonderfully rich
characters fill those pages. I suggest diving into this book as soon as you get
the chance.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me
by the publishers at William Morrow in exchange for my honest review***

Ghosts are everywhere, not
just the ghost of Momma in the woods, but ghosts of ustoo,
what we used to be like in those long summers . . .

Amber Alton knows that the hours pass differently
at Black Rabbit Hall, her London family’s country estate, where no two clocks
read the same. Summers there are perfect, timeless. Not much ever happens.
Until, of course, it does.

More than three decades later, Lorna is determined
to be married within the grand, ivy-covered walls of Pencraw Hall, known as
Black Rabbit Hall among the locals. But as she’s drawn deeper into the
overgrown grounds, half-buried memories of her mother begin to surface and
Lorna soon finds herself ensnared within the manor’s labyrinthine history,
overcome with an insatiable need for answers about her own past and that of the
once-happy family whose memory still haunts the estate.

Stunning and atmospheric, this debut novel is a
thrilling spiral into the hearts of two women separated by decades but
inescapably linked by the dark and tangled secrets of Black Rabbit Hall.

“I always say to Daddy that Black Rabbit Hall is
the one still sane point in this mad, changing world. It’s our safe, happy
place, isn’t it, Amber?”

The pull of the house is just a little too
strong.

It really would be quite easy to get lost in
Black Rabbit Hall. To think you were going in one direction but he heading
entirely in another.

This book was absolutely fantastic! Gothic,
house full of secrets, romantic, and reminiscent of Kate Morton; I loved every
inch of it. The book is written as a multi-period mystery and the point of
views shift back and forth, always bringing readers back to modern day. The
prose is as elegant as I imagined the house to be; it felt like I was watching
a film instead of reading a book. This was a debut novel for Eve Chase and I am
so excited to see what more will come from her. The mystery was one that I thought
I had figured out and then was totally shocked when it began to unfold. I can’t
stress to readers enough how much this book will grab you and pull you in. I
was unable to put it down.

The setting will be such an escape for any
reader willing to dive into this book. The shift in time periods was done so
beautifully and did not take away any magic from Black Rabbit Hall. I could
picture it in the 1960’s and I could picture it in modern day. The family
secret was another stellar part of this book. Like I said earlier, I thought I had
figured it all out, but I was completely shocked when everything was revealed.
The characters were ones that I came to care for and wonder about even when I was
not reading. If this review does not convince you to give this book a try, then
I don’t know what will!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me
by the publishers at G.P. Putnam’s Sons in exchange for my honest review***

About Me

My name is Chelsey and I am the creator of Charming Chelsey's! I read and review anything and everything that I find to be "charming."
I accept ARCs or already released books for review, and I'm also available to participate in any blog tours or book reveals too. If anything, please don't hesitate to email me any time for any reason at: charmingchelseys(at)gmail(dot)com